Traveling with an upright bass

Jumamoro · #1 10-05-2008, 09:47 PM

Hi,
I have a big problem, I am a Berklee student and I am near to finish my degree, I am from Mexico and will be leaving the US in a few months, but I have bought a great upright bass here in America, I love it and I wan to take it with me.

Have you ever traveled on an airplane with an upright, Is it actually possible? Would it be better to ship it with ups or fedex?

Please let me know you experiences if you have traveled with you upright bass.

thank.
I would appreciate your help.

toman · #2 10-06-2008, 03:45 AM

Some people living in Mexico recently had a (valuable) dog shipped into the country from Europe; due to a variety of general screw-ups once landed in Mexico, the animal was lost and kicked around for so long it was almost dead by the time they found it. Maybe a different service would be better, but from other reports in general it isn't uncommon. If that's how live animals get treated I wouldn't hold out much hope for something as fragile as a bass.

Keep it with you; you can get it on a plane without much trouble. Just do your homework ahead of time so you don't freak at the airport!

GerardSamija · #3 10-06-2008, 01:53 PM

A client recently told me that he was able to fly across Canada on a popular budget airline without any surcharges at all for his bass. He told them at check-in that it was a cello. The worker checked his list, found that 'cello' was acceptable in checked baggage, smiled, and said 'okay, no problem.' Seems once in a while that the continual mis-identification of basses (and cellos for that matter - mine has often been called a guitar or a bass on public transit) comes in handy, if one happens to find an airline worker ignorant enough to go along with this little white lie.

But I'd not count on being so lucky. This guy had a fiberglass bass trunk and insurance, and the bass got through un-damaged. I'd suggest at least that much coverage, and then also making a lot of calls to find out what various airlines' policies are regarding pricing for transport. Include the exact dimensions they ask for on your trunk, let them go through their calculations, find out how much it'll cost you... then try to do some research among consumer advocacy groups online to find out the baggage handling records of the companies involved. With good notes and the right questions you might be able to come up with an airline with the best odds of getting your nice bass home safely.

Jake deVilliers · #4 10-06-2008, 02:26 PM

LOL!!

Gerard, which airline was it? Thanks

Thunderthumbs73 · #5 10-06-2008, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jumamoro

Hi,
I have a big problem, I am a Berklee student and I am near to finish my degree, I am from Mexico and will be leaving the US in a few months, but I have bought a great upright bass here in America, I love it and I wan to take it with me.

Have you ever traveled on an airplane with an upright, Is it actually possible? Would it be better to ship it with ups or fedex?

Please let me know you experiences if you have traveled with you upright bass.

thank.
I would appreciate your help.

I would probably NOT ship an item which is as large and as fragile as that. IMO, your best bet it to prepare yourself to buy a seat for the bass, if that it at all possible now, or as worst case, bring it with you to the airport and be prepared to do whatever or pay whatever it takes to get it on the plane (in passenger cabin or undeneath) with you, gate-checking it if at all possible.

Your best bet is to determine what airlines you're flying on, and then call at least customer service or other people in the airline who can advise.

Last word: if there is any possibility that you cannot check the bass to travel in the passenger compartment, then your best bet is to make sure you have a hard shell case for the bass, and not rely on a soft/cordura case to withstand travel below deck.

I will be interested to see what others say on this...

Thunderthumbs73 · #6 10-06-2008, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jumamoro

Hi,
I have a big problem, I am a Berklee student and I am near to finish my degree, I am from Mexico and will be leaving the US in a few months, but I have bought a great upright bass here in America, I love it and I wan to take it with me.

Have you ever traveled on an airplane with an upright, Is it actually possible? Would it be better to ship it with ups or fedex?

Please let me know you experiences if you have traveled with you upright bass.

thank.
I would appreciate your help.

For all the hassle and cost and worry you may incur in trying to get an upright bass from the US to Mexico aboard a plane, it may be best to resign yourself with a road trip if you can afford the time for the drive.

There's no magic bullet to this, but it is perhaps the simplest option, again if you can afford the time.

GerardSamija · #7 10-06-2008, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jake deVilliers

LOL!!

Gerard, which airline was it? Thanks

Oh all right. My recollection isn't 100%... but I think it was WestJet. The bassist just felt it was worth a shot, and was pleasantly surprised that it worked so easily.

**Damon Rondeau** · #8 10-06-2008, 03:24 PM

"Popular budget airline" that will actually transport and not destroy a bass sure as heck doesn't sound like Air Canada!

Eric Hochberg · #9 10-06-2008, 03:32 PM

It has gotten increasingly difficult to fly with a bass. If you can't find an airline that will sell you a seat for it, I suggest you buy, rent or borrow a good hard travel case and go with it on your flight to Mexico. (Gerard's "cello" idea is certainly novel!). Then, if you need to return the case to Boston, call some airlines about shipping it back air express. I had a bass sent to me on trial from Phoenix to Chicago on Southwest Airlines Express and it cost $85.00 each way at the time.

I also suggest you purchase insurance, if possible. I know of many airline/bass repair disasters costing thousands of dollars.

For more info, check out the International Society of Bassists and Doublebassblog.org websites.

Good Luck!

Bofee · #10 10-06-2008, 03:47 PM

I recently did some gigs in Hawai'i and even after 3 months of emails and telephone calls I could never get a straight answer from the airline, or even the same answer twice. The closest to any comittment from them was, "Bring it with you when you check in and we'll see." As the airport was a 5 hour drive from my house, that wasn't acceptable.
I like the road trip suggestion. Think of it as a graduation present to yourself.